Rescue tower



July 4, 1933. A BACINICH 1,916,294

RESCUE TOWER Filed Feb. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fin tcmB admit/1 INVENTOR g; A ORNE'Y July 4, 1933. A. BACINICH 1,916,294

RESCUE TOWER Filed Feb. 23 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hnfun-Barinich INVENTOR [0, A ORNEY Patented July '4, 1933 S T T 1:,

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ANTON BACINICH, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK RE SCUE TOWER Application filed February 2, 1929. Serial No. 337,042.

between this chamber and the compartments tact with the sunken vessel; third, to firmly attach such a rescue tower toa sunken vessel; fourth, to attach a rescue tower to a sunken vessel at any point thereof; fifth, to look, by simple means, the rescue tower onto the submarine until the rescue has been accomplished; sixth, to allow, for the rescue crew,.free operation throughout the rescue and to enable them to approach any compartment of a sunken vessel under normal atmospheric pressure; seventh, to provide a rescue tower which may readily be attached to and detached from a sunken vessel and the rescue operation be completed, by the enclosed crew of the submerged rescue tower, without the aid or assistance of divers out side the tower at the place of rescue.

With these and other objects in view I have perfected my invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 shows, in a sectioned elevation, my rescue tower attached to the wall of a sunken vessel.

Figure 2 shows a sectional sectioned view of my invention attached to a submarine on which special means are provided for the attachment of my rescue device.

Figure 3 shows a corresponding bottom view of my rescue device; the submarine is not shown in this view.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various views.

The shell 11 of my rescue tower is made of a heavy sheet'material. The tower has essentially the shape of a bell. The lower edge 12 at the open end of the tower is provided with a rubber ring 13, which is T- shaped in cross section and which is attached to the bottom of the skirted sides of the rescue tower by being clamped by an inner'metal be secured in a closed position by locking means 21 which can be operated by a person standing on the bottom 17 on the inside of the rescue tower.-

Onto the top of the removable cover is fastened a heavy glass window 22, accurately fitting the top of the cover; the window is permanently secured so as to be water tight, by a ring 23 welded over it onto the cover. The hatches 24 in the sides of the rescue tower are provided with similar windows 22 which are similarly mounted against the walls by rings 23.

Below'the bottom 17 in the rescue tower turnbuckles 26 are suspended from suitable hooks 25 mounted below the bottom of the y The free ends of said turnrescue tower. buckles are shaped into open hooks 27 which are adapted to grasp the hull 16 of the submarine through a suitable opening 28. The

inner chamber 29 of the rescue tower is separated by the bottom 17 from a compartment '30 extending from said bottom down to the lower edge of the rescue tower.

A pipe31 has its free end 32 in said compartment, just above the lower edge of the from which the rescue tower is suspended, and said chain and said flexible hose extend to the surface of the water where they are mounted on suitable reels or other storing means on the rescue ship. The lower end of the chain is forked into separate strands which are fastened upon the cover of the tower at points representing the corners of a regular geometrical figure. There are other flexible hose connections 38 between the rescue ship and the rescue tower which are also attached to the chain. They terminate into pipes 39 and 40 which are secured by a water tight mounting in the cover of the rescue tower. In one of said flexible hose connections there is a telephone wire 41 which connects to a telephone apparatus on the rescue ship, leads from there into the chamber 29 through the pipe 40 and is connected at the inner end to a telephone apparatus 42.

On the outside of the rescue tower are hooks 43 from which are suspended the Weights 44.

The drawing of Figure 2 again shows in a sectioned view the lower part of the tower but in this case it is attached to a submarine 45 which is especially adapted for such attachment. For that purpose a flare 46 extending outward in the form of a hollow truncated cone from the outside of the submarine 45. That flare is of such diameter as to accommodate the lower end of the rescue tower and it extends up to such a distance as to safely guide the rubber ring 13 on the lower ed e of the rescue tower into firm contact wit the outer surface of the hull of the submarine. Concentric to the flare {t6 there is a hatch 47 in the wall of the submarine upon which is mounted a removable cover 48, hinged onto the outside of the submarine by locking means 50. The hatch is concentrically surrounded by a strong circular rail 51 which is mounted on standards 52 at a suitable height above the wall of the submarine.

My device functions as follows: v

Thechamber 29 is of a size to accommodate the men of the rescue party and such a number of the crew of the submarine the res- .Cue of which is to be considered. Beforethe rescue tower is lowered from the rescue ship the rescue party enters upon chamber 29, the hatch 18 of which is then closed water tight and the rescue tower is lowered by slow unreeling of chain 37 from the winch or means on which it is rolled up on the mother ship, equivalent lengths of the flexible hose connections 36 and 38 being simultaneously released. The windows 22 offer to the members of the rescue party means for observing the movement of the rescue tower and by means of the telephone 42 they can advise the crew of the rescue ship as to the position in which, is the rescue tower and give them instructions as to the shifting and lowering of the rescue tower. The submarine or sunken vessel which is provided with means for the attachment of the rescue tower thereto, as indicated in Figure 2, may have the flare 4:6 the hatch a7 and the rail 51 on or near any compartment in which some of the crew of the sunken vessel may be enclosed and still alive. The rescue tower is lowered so as to fit into the opening of the flare 46 and upon full release of the chain it will drop, by its own weight, so as to firmly rest upon the outside of the hull of the submarine 45, the rubber ring 13 providing a wator-proof connection between the hull and the rescue tower. Upon telephone instructions of the rescue party the crew oft-he rescue ship begins to set into operation an exhaust or suction pump which is connected to the flexible hose coupling 86. The water contained in the compartment 30 is thereby sucked from said compartment until the pressure in said compartment is so low that the difference between that pressure and the pressure of tie water surrounding the rescue tower serves as an additional means to hold the lower edge of the rescue tower in firm contact with the hull of the submarine. The a'r in the chamber 29 has in the meantime been kept fresh by the pumping of air into said chamber from the rescue ship through the pipe 39, the foul air being exhausted from said chamber through the pipe to. Of course it is not necessary to introduce air under pressure and at the same time to suck it from the chamber by an exhaust but it will be sufficient to use one or the other means, the foul air being carried out of the chamber orfresh air being introduced into he chamber, respectively, by the normal process'of balancing of atmospheric pressures. lVhen the compartment 30 has been exhausted to such an extent that the pressure therein becomes the same as or less than the normal atmospheric pressure above the water, the door 19 on hatch 18 is opened by the rescue party and one man of said party enters upon the com artment 30 and hooks the free ends of the turnbuckies onto the rail on the submarine and takes up on said turnbuckles, so as to have them tightly stretched between their points of suspension and said rail. Therefore, in addition to the weight of the rescue tower and in addition to a low pressure in the chamber and inthe compartment, as compared with the pres sure of the water on the outside of the rescue tower, these mechanical means serve to securely hold the rescue tower onto the submarine so that the roughest seas cannot tear the rescue tower away from the submarine. Then the door or the removable cover 50 on hatch d7 in the hollow submarine is opened and the rescue party can enter upon the submarine, and the transfer of the crew of the sunken vessel into the rescue tower may be brought about. After this has'been accomplished, the turnbuckles 26 are released and are disconnected from the rail 51, the cover 19 on the bottom of the rescue tower is closed again, air or water under pressure is introduced through pipe 32 into the compartment 30 until the pressure equals the pressure of the water outside and the suction effect of said compartment has been overcome. Then the rescue tower is hoisted to the surface of the water and the rescue party and the rescued crew of the sunken vessel are removed from the rescue tower. It will be seen that my rescue tower is ofsuch design that it is readily attached to and detached from a sunken vessel, and the rescue operation per formed and completed by the enclosed crew of the submerged rescue tower, and by its use the employment of divers outside the tower, at the place of rescue is made unnecessary.

It is not always possible to approach the sunken vessel at the point where the flare 46, the rail 51 and the hatch 47 are provided thereon; or possibly no such means are provided on the sunken vessel at all. On the other hand such means are not absolutely necessary for the operation of my rescue tower; to the contrary, if a sufficiently large and flexible rubber ring 13 is provided on the lower edge of the rescue tower, the rescue tower may be used at any point on the sunken vessel Where by the weight of the rescue tower the whole circle of the lower edge of the rubber ring may be brought into contact with the surface of the submarine at the point where the rescue is to be brought about; again the pressure in compartment 30 is decreased by application of suction through pipe 31, a member of the rescue party enters upon said compartment after the door 19 has been opened and by means of a torch he cuts the opening 28 into the hull of the sunken vessel, the hooks 27 on the free end of turnbuckles 26 being hooked over the edges of the hole cut into the hull of the sunken vessel or submarine, the turnbuckles then being tightened so as to mechanically secure the rescue tower in a position of close contact with said sunken vessel or submarine. The rescue proceeds in the same manner as described before in connection with Figure 2.

The fact that the chamber is completely enclosed and that the crew inside of it is always under normal atmospheric pressure which is renewed from the surface of the water at the rate at which such change is necessary under normal living conditions, makes it possible for the rescue crew to go about their work unhampered in any respect and in constant touch with the rescueship. The communication between the rescue tower and the rescue ship may of course be maintained by any other means known in the respective art; so for instance, I may use a simple speak- P for cutting by means of a torch are stored in the chamber. Extension lights may beconnected to the electric system to furnish light to the member of the rescue crew who works in the compartment below the chamber, connecting and tightening the turnbuckles. Such lights may also be carried by the rescue crew when entering upon the submarine. Other lights may be fixedly mounted in the compartment which serve for the illumination of said compartment but which also help the rescue crew in the observation of the submerged vessel or submarine when the rescue tower is lowered onto it. Of course other lights, outside of the tower, may also be provided; they are separately lowered from the rescue ship and disclose to the observers in the rescue tower the outlines of the sunken vessel or submarine and are of assistance to them in giving instructions to the rescue ship for the manoeuvering of the rescue tower into the proper position, in which the rescue tower is to be attached to the sunken vessel or submarine. Normally the weight of the rescue tower is suiiicient to carry it into tight contact with the hull of the sunken vessel or submarine; but weights, as indicated suspended from hooks on the outside of the tower, may be used to make ment of an adequate number of weights on the outside of the tower that may be released from the inside of the rescue tower in a case of emergency, so that the rescue tower is buoyed up to the surface of the water under those circumstances. i

The hatch in the bottom of the rescue tower is closed by a door opening into the rescue chamber. Under given circumstances itmay be preferableto attach this door below the bottom of the rescue tower so that it'ogens downward. In that case the said door will be kept shut the pressure of the water from below and it can be opened onlyin case the compartment below the bottom has been part 1y pumped out so as to decrease the pressure against said door. I It is also advisable to provide automatic valves or shutters on the ends of pipes 89 and 40, which shut ofi? the connection through these pipes to the rescue ship when the pressure inside of the chamber exceeds a certam fixed pressure. This will prevent the water from rising in said chamber, if, through an unexpected leak in the sunken vessel or in the submarine, thewater under pressure enters upon the tower. It also otters rotection in case a rescue crew has, by mista e, approached a compartment of the sunken vessel or submarine which is flooded or filled with water, because it is connected to the surrounding water through a break in its wall.

If the rescue tower is to be brought into contactwith and to be attached to the sunken vessel or submarine in the manner illustrated in Figure 1 it may of course be advisable to provide a proportionately larger rubber ring on the lower end of the rescue tower. This rubber ring may represent a skirt running around the tower, flared outwardly from the circle along which it is attached, so it readily lays against the hull of the submarine and is pressed against it by the pressure of the water, as soon as the contents of the compartment below the bottom of the rescue tower are pumped out.

A great number of modifications of my invention may be devised which adapt it to specific circumstances under which the rescue tower is to be used. A detailed description of such modifications would lead too far and is not necessary because such modifications can be readily worked vout and applied by anybody versed in the marine arts. I, therefore, desire protection by this patent for the extent to which it represents improvements over the prior art and within the limits of the appended claims. Y

1. In a submersible rescue tower for submarines, the combination of ahermetically closeable chamber filled with air under substantially atmospheric pressure, a compartment adjoining saidchamber, connected therewith and havin 'its outer end open, re-

silient cushioning means around the bottom peripheral edge of the bottom open end of said compartment, a door between said chamher and said compartment, and mechanical means in said compartment adapted to be manipulated from within said chamber and said-compartment, adapted to mechanically, releasably attachsaid open end of said compartment to said submarine, and retain said rescue tower in rescue operating relation to said submarine.

2. In a submersible rescue tower for submarines, the combination of a hermetically closeablechamber filled with air under substantially atmospheric'pressure, a compartcompartment and control the ment adjoining said chamber, connected therewith and having its outer end open, resilient cushioning means around the bottom peripheral edge of the bottom open end of said compartment, a door between said chamber and said compartment, and turn-buckles suspended in said compartment adapted to releasably attach said open end of said compartmentto said submarine, and retain said rescue tower in rescue operating relation to said submarine.

3. In a submersible rescue tower for submarines, the combination of a hermetically closeable chamber within said tower filled with air under substantially atmospheric pressure, a substantially centrally located manhole in the bottom of said chamber, a door operable from within said chamber adapted to hermetically close said manhole, a compartment within said tower below said chamber, connecting therewith through said manhole and open at its outer end, mechanical means within said compartment, suspended from the top wall thereof, adapted to be manipulated from within said chamber and said compartment into and out of gripping engagement with the body of said submarine, to mechanically retain said tower in hermetically closed, rescue operating engagement with said submarine, and release said tower therefrom, and a resilient, cushioning member around the bottom peripheral edge of the open end of said compartment, adapted to effect a hermetically sealed joint between the body of said submarine and the bottom of said rescue tower,when said tower is in rescue operating contact with said submarine.

4:. In a submersible rescue tower for submarines, the-combination of a hermetically closeable chamber within said tower, a substantially centrally located manhole in the bottom of said chamber, a door operable from within said chamber adapted to hermetically close said manhole, a compartment within said tower, below said chamber, connecting:

therewith through said manhole and open at its outer end, mechanical means within said compartment, adapted to be manipulated from within said chamber and said com art-- ment into and out of gripping engagement with the body of said submarine, to mechanically retain said tower in rescue operating engagement with said submarine and release said tower therefrom, a resilient, cushioning member around the bottom peripheral edge of the open end of said;compartment, adapted to eli'ect a hermetically sealed joint between the body of'said submarine and the bottom of said rescue tower, when said tower is in rescue operating contact with said submarine, and means operable from without said tower-to supply air to said chamber and said pressure therein. I

5. Ina submersible rescue tower for submarines, the combination of a hermetically closeable chamber filled with air under substantially atmospheric pressure within said tower, a substantially centrally located manhole in the bottom of said chamber, a door operable from within said chamber, adapted to hermetically close said manhole, a compartment within said tower below said chamber, connecting therewith through said manhole and open at its outer end, mechanical means within said compartment, adapted to be manipulated from within said chamber and said compartment into and out of gripping engagement with the body of said submarine, to mechanically retain said tower in rescue operating engagement with said submarine and release said tower therefrom.

6. The method of rescuing the crew of a sunken vessel, consisting in bringing the open end of a compartment of a hermetically closeable rescue tower into airtight and watertight rescuing engagement with the hull of said sunken vessel, in hermetically sealing said compartment to said vessel by reducing the pressure in said compartment to atmospheric pressure, in releasably locking said rescue tower to said hull of the vessel, by mechanical gripping means operable and arranged within said compartment, and in establishing communication between said rescue tower and said sunken vessel through said compartment, while the hermetically sealed condition of and normal atmospheric pressure in said compartment is maintained.

7. The method of rescuing the crew of a sunken vessel, consisting in bringing the open end of a compartment of a hermetically closeable rescue tower into airtight and watertight rescuing engagement with the hull of said sunken vessel, in hermetically sealing said compartment to said vessel, by reducing the pressure in said compartment to atmospheric pressure, and in releasably locking said rescue tower to said hull of said vessel, by mechanical gripping means operable from said tower and arranged within said compartment.

8. The method of rescuing the crew of a sunken vessel, consisting in bringing the open end of a compartment of a rescue tower, the inside of which is under atmospheric pressure, into airtight and watertight rescuing engagement with the hull of said sunken vessel, in hermetically sealing said compartment to said vessel by applying weight to said compartment, in hydraulically securing said seal by opening said compartment towards the inside of the tower and in releasably locking said rescue tower to said hull of said vessel by mechanical gripping means operable from said tower and arranged within said compartment.

9. In a submersible rescue tower for submarines, the combination of a chamber sealed towards the water, a conduit extending up from said chamber through the water and placing said chamber substantially under atmospheric pressure, a compartment adjoining said chamber, connected therewith and having its outer end open, resilient cushioning means around the bottom peripheral edge of the bottom open end of said compartment, a door between said chamber and said compartment, and mechanical means in said compartment adapted to be manipulated from within said chamber, adapted to mechanically releasably attach said open end of said compartment to said submarine, and retain said rescue tower in rescue operating relation to said submarine.

10. In a submersible rescue tower for submarines, the combination of a w atertight chamber within said tower, means on said chamber communicating with-and reducing the pressure in said chamber to that ofthe atmosphere above the water, a manhole in the bottom of said chamber, a door operable from within said chamber, adapted to hermetically close said manhole, a compartment within said tower below said chamber, connecting therewith through said manhole and open at its outer end, mechanical means within said compartment, adapted to be manipulated from within said chamber and said compartment into and out of gripping engagement with the body of said submarine, to mechanically retain said tower in rescue operating engagement with said submarine and release said tower therefrom.

11. In a submersible rescue tower for a sunken vessel, a closed chamber, an outward- 1y open compartment adapted to be sealed at its open end to said vessel, a door connecting said chamber with said compartment, and mechanical means in said compartment for fastening said tower, on said vessel, said compartment being so shallow, that said mechanical means may be manipulated from said chamber through said door for the purpose of engaging them upon said vessel and of securing said tower to said vessel by said means.

Signed at New York in the county of Kings and State of New York this 30th day of January, A. D. 1929.

ANTON BACINICH. 

